On Being (C)overt

Something came up yesterday that really struck me in a way I didn't like.

I tried to shake it. I tried to ignore it. I tried to set it on fire and throw it out the window. It just. wouldn't. go. away.

The worst part was that it was about myself.

If you've been around Life Before the Bucket for any amount of time, you might have noticed that my writing covers a pretty broad range of topics. I enjoy talking about my wife, my marriage, school, God, Christianity, living with chronic illness, adoption, my pet peeves (like captchas and typos), any many, many other things.

Frankly, I love writing about life.

Yesterday, though, I realized something about my writing that I'm not so sure about.

I make no bones about the fact that I'm a Christian. I strive to follow Jesus in his example of love for God and for others, and that belief informs everything I do. My writing is no exception. My beliefs can and do bleed into my words.

Here's the thing, though. When I write, I'm always thinking in some way or another about Scripture. So, for the most part, my writing is inspired by words I've read in the Bible during my short life as a follower of Jesus. However, I'm not writing a blog specifically about the Bible (except to say that I suck at reading it), so I rarely mention in an overt fashion.

What I do want to make clear, though, is that I believe, like one of our professors says, that "All truth is God's truth." So when I write, I hope that my words communicate that truth clearly without beating you over your proverbial (or literal) head with Bible verses.

Is this okay? I'm not sure.

Would you prefer a more overt approach to Scripture from me? Or do you enjoy this more subtle style that I've chosen to employ thus far in my writing journey?

I think I know where I stand with this, but I wanted to hear from you, whoever you are, to gauge your thoughts.

What you think about this is important and means a lot to me. If you could take a moment to leave a comment with your thoughts, I would be greatly appreciative.

If you enjoy what you've read, I'd also appreciate you subscribing to Life Before the Bucket and sharing this post with your friends. Thanks a million for reading!

A Higher Truth

"Brr," is now becoming an acceptable response to "How are you doing?" around here.

You know, I enjoy Facebook.

Regardless of any unnecessary changes that might’ve happened to it and any changes that really creep me out that are coming in the near future, I enjoy it because there’s never been anything like it.

For instance, I can tell, without ever talking to a person in real life, whether a person is well-educated, snarky, rude, light-hearted, intriguing, or attractive. I don’t even have to be in the same country as them to know all of this!

Nowadays, I can even enjoy the thoughts of people that I don’t want to “friend” on Facebook. It’s kind of weird to think about, but maybe there’s something positive to take from this. You see, I enjoy Facebook, not because it gives me the opportunity to make split-second judgments about hundreds of people within the span of minutes, but because I enjoy people. And people make me think.

In fact, a couple of people, in particular make me think more often than others. One of my closest friends enjoys shaking things up a bit, and few months ago, he posted a status that spurred on some pretty interesting conversation.

The Facebook status in question.

I posted a response to my friend’s question, but it was just my initial reaction. And, ultimately, my initial reaction was summed up in this post.

As I’ve been chewing on it for a few days, though, I’ve come to another conclusion. And maybe I’d better not call it conclusion, as that implies finality and closure. However, I think I’ve been led to at least a thought or a proposition of sorts. And here it is:

We all seek truth. Of that, I have no doubt. Maybe some of us are a little misguided in our journey, but we're on the same journey, nonetheless. And in our conquest for truth, we seek facts. We want knowledge. Because what higher form of truth is there than the facts? After all, aren't facts the essence of truth?

Why then, can I distort facts? I could use the fact that 50% of marriages end in divorce to support the institution of marriage. Or I can use the same fact to say that marriage is an antiquated ritual with little to no social benefit. And in both instances I can’t be “wrong” because I’m using facts to support my claims. But both positions can’t be correct, can they?

Maybe, then, there’s a higher form of truth. Something God uses to communicate that is more than facts. And I know that my proposition can’t be proven in a court of law or supported by facts, but maybe there’s a higher truth.

To me, that higher truth is found, not in facts, but in story.

Think about it. As a child, were you taught through facts or stories? Even now, consider how you learn. Do you get to know people by uncovering factual information about them (age, height, city of birth), or do you truly get to know people through their stories?

Maybe there’s something more to truth than meets the eye.

Maybe, just maybe, we’re a little off-base when our mindsets are, “Just the facts, ma’am.”

Because maybe, just maybe, there’s something more than just the facts. And something truer, too.

Question: What sort of stories have influenced your life? Can you think of any stories that have truly changed your life? Or do facts communicate truth better to you?

I’d love to hear from you about this! Just leave a comment with your thoughts, opinions, beliefs, stories – just about whatever you want – or shoot me an e-mail!